- Jul 18, 2009
- 11,183
- 17,816
- Funster No
- 7,543
- MH
- HYMER B644
- Exp
- 2004
2 Night Crossings. I prefer them sometimes.
Traffic Lights Ahead, a message from our CEO
Hello,I wanted to get in touch to share our progress and plans for the next couple of months.
With some encouraging progress with vaccinations on both sides of the channel and increasingly positive news about the forthcoming summer, we’ve taken stock of where we are and agreed the next steps of our 5 year recovery plan.
2022 Launch extended
This year we’ve really pushed the boat out (I’m sorry, I couldn’t resist) to make 2022 sailings available earlier than ever. It’s proven to be a very good move and brought much reassurance and optimism to all of us. We released more 2022 sailings on May 4th and a selection of our sail-and-stay holidays will be made available over the coming weeks.Teams have worked hard to bring this together and I must laud the co-operation and creativity of my colleagues, our many external partners and our terrifically loyal customers for making this possible. It’s rewarding and heartening to see so many travel plans and dream holidays coming together.
For 2022, we’ve had to focus on cost reduction as part of our 5 year recovery plan. With careful planning and cost management we’ve devised a schedule for Spanish sailings that involves a much higher number of 2-night sailings than ever before and there are good reasons for this.
1. We have a new ship on the way in March 2022, Salamanca! She will be powered by LNG (Liquified Natural Gas), a fuel that releases no Sulphur Dioxide and cuts CO2 emissions by a quarter. This innovation to our fleet will further enhance our environmental credentials and offer international travellers a means to explore that is kinder to our planet than many traditional alternatives. We anticipate refuelling of the Salamanca to take around 6 hours which puts considerable pressure on our timetables and does not easily permit one night sailings.
2. Extending sailings on other vessels will keep fuel costs in a manageable window and the associated environmental impact greatly reduced whilst also fulfilling the strong demand we have on all these routes. We’ve come up with a schedule that gives attractive departure and arrival times and early signs indicate they are proving popular with many of you.
Traffic Lights for Travel
You are probably aware of the UK government’s plan to assign a traffic light system to each country, as part of a plan to re-start international travel. Most other countries are considering similar schemes but in all cases, details are not yet confirmed. We’re hearing from many of you about this and I wish we could confirm what may or may not be in place from May 17th. We think an announcement about France and Spain will come from UK government imminently. However, this may be trailed in the media beforehand. Rest assured, as soon as we know for sure what’s happening with all four countries to which we operate, we’ll share it here.PCR Tests
You’ll have also heard about the requirement to provide negative PCR tests prior to travel. A recent review has indicated that in the UK at least the cost of these test can vary significantly and we’re currently in the process of assessing if there is something we can do to help lighten this cost. In truth, at this time, demand is very high for the tests and supply a little behind so inevitably prices are high, trying to source a reliable, inexpensive test ourselves is proving a very complex conundrum but our efforts continue apace. If there are reasonable measures we can adopt to make this part of everyone’s travel experience easier, please rest assured we will.Ongoing Uncertainty and Extended Flexibility
With the above in mind, it’s clear many of you remain anxious about travel until such time as plans and arrangements are cemented. This uncertainty is reflected in the first two weeks of sailings immediately following May 17th and we’re taking a close look at customer behaviour on these sailings to determine the best way forward for all affected by the prevailing doubt and caution with regard to all travel. With so much uncertainty lingering we’ve continued to waive amendment fees to give all our customers the very best chance to change plans without penalty, no questions asked.All in all, it feels very much as if seas are settling and countries are beginning to open up with more confidence and hope. There is still some way for us all to go to get used to post-pandemic life and nowhere is this more true than in international travel. Debates now however are about how we can facilitate more travel, rather than restrict it, and this alone gives me considerable hope for brighter, happier months to come.
All the best,
Christophe Mathieu
